Many modern handheld communication devices, such as e-mail pagers, wireless telephones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) notify the user of the occurrence of an event, such as an incoming telephone call, commencement of a previously-scheduled meeting, or an incoming e-mail message. These notifications are typically audible or tactile. For instance, the communications device might play a tune upon receipt of an incoming telephone call or at a predetermined time prior to commencement of the meeting, or vibrate upon receipt of an incoming e-mail message.
Audible notifications are advantageous since they can provide the user with notification of the event without the communications device being in immediate proximity to the user. However, audible notifications can be problematic if the user is in a meeting, movie theatre, library or other location requiring minimal audible disturbances. Tactile notifications are advantageous since they can provide notification of the event without disturbing individuals nearby. However, both audible and tactile notifications do not provide any meaningful information concerning the substance of the event, thereby requiring the user to remove the communications device from its holster to identify the purpose of the notification. Further, to avoid disturbing other individuals, the user will typically disable the notification function prior to the meeting, thereby increasing the likelihood of an important event occurring without notice to the user.